The Kids Are Alright
by Dede42
Summary: While Jo and Ellen travel to Elizabethville, Ohio to investigate two strange deaths and possible demonic omens, the Winchesters travel to Cicero, Indiana to investigate a strange death in a gated community, also Dean hopes to reconnect with a former yoga instructor, Lisa Braeden, and is surprise to learn that she has a son, Ben, and that there is a real case in the area.
1. Chapter 1: AN OLD FLAME

Supernatural: The Kids Are Alright

A/N: Greetings, I'm back with another story and I will be mentioning the episode _Sin City_ in this story since I've chosen to skip it in order to move things along.

Read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from _Supernatural_ or _Criminal Minds_. I just own any and all characters that I just happen create.

* * *

 **CHAPTER ONE: AN OLD FLAME**

" _Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned_ _."_

 _Song of Solomon 8:7_

Cicero, Indiana…

In a quiet suburban neighborhood, a young woman was standing outside her home with a mixture of worry and impatience on her face. A short time later, a car pulled up into the driveway, and a girl of about ten years old got out, and so did her father, who was looking concerned.

"Thanks for driving her back here, Mitch," the woman told him after almost being knocked over by her daughter and took the backpack that he handed to her.

"It's not like I had a choice, Dana," Mitch admitted. "She pitched a fit."

Dana frowned and looked down at her daughter, who was hugging her tightly. "Hey, sweetie. What's wrong?"

"Nothing," her daughter answered. "I missed you."

Dana smiled slightly. "Okay, but tonight's your dad's night, Katie."

"No," Katie protested, shaking her head as Mitch got back into the car and waited. "I don't like Dad's night. I don't want Dad to have a night anymore."

"Since when?" Dana asked, surprised. "You used to love going to your dad's house. You know, he loves you, and he misses you a lot."

"But I hate it there!" Katie cried, pulling her mom toward the porch.

Dana frowned, confused. "You don't hate it."

"Yes, I do!" Katie whimpered. "He's mean, and there are _monsters_ there. I don't w-want to go back. Please _don't_ let the monsters get me."

' _Monsters?'_ Dana sighed and hugged her daughter again before going inside the house. "Okay, sweetie. Okay." And Mitch drove away, disappointed.

* * *

Later that same night, Mitch was in his workroom, working on a wooden rocking horse, unaware that he was being watched. There were wood-carved objects sitting about, various types of tools, and a circular table saw.

Stretching, he noticed that it was nearly 1 am, and so he prepared to leave. Walking past his car, he shut off the lights by the door, and the table saw suddenly turned itself on.

Curious, he turned the lights back on, approached it, crouched down at table-height, checked it over, and then shut it off. As he started to leave a second time, the saw turned on again. Suspicious now, he went back to it, and was about to reach for the switch, when he heard a soft pattering of what seemed like feet, he turned, and suddenly fell backwards on the saw, dying a horrible gruesome death.

* * *

Bobby's place

South Dakota…

 _`"Ah ha!"`_

Sam, who was at his laptop and was trying to translate a possible demon-dispelling ritual, looked toward the hidden room that held the _entire_ Campbell's library, where Bobby had been looking through the hundreds of books for something that might help him fix the Colt and sensed a _major_ shift in the older man's emotions. "You find something, Bobby?"

"Oh yeah." Bobby came out with an old leather book and a big smile as they were joined by Ellen, who had been cooking food in the kitchen, Jo, Liz, and Dean, who had been outside and had been tinkering with the Impala. "One of Samuel Colt's journals." And he showed them the front of the book, which had a pentagram on the cover.

He set it on his desk and they all gathered around as he opened it, revealing detailed pictures and descriptions of the Colt. "According to this entry, he wrote down instructions of how he made the Colt, plus the original bullets, and how to fix it should the owner ever run out of bullets."

"Lucky for us that he did," Dean commented, thrilled that they now had a chance to repair the gun and get Liz out of her deal before the year was up.

* * *

Elizabethville, Ohio…

In a local church, a nun was putting Bibles in the pews when an older man, who was dressed as a priest and was named Father Gil, appeared behind her, surprising her.

Father Gil handed her another Bible. "One more." The nun accepted the book and placed it on the nearest pew. "That's all for tonight, sister. Come on. Let me walk you to your car."

The nun nodded and they headed for the doors together when a voice spoke from above.

"Father?"

Startled, Father Gil looked up to the balcony, where a young man named Andy was standing. "Andy?" _'Where did he come from?'_

"Father, God's not with us," Andy announced sadly. "Not anymore."

"Andy, of course he is," Father Gil protested. "Why would you say that? What's wrong?"

Andy shook his head, making it clear that he didn't believe that anymore. "He can't help us," he stated. "And if he can…He won't." he then produced a gun, which he placed under his chin.

"Andy, wait!" Father Gil shouted, but Andy shot himself, and the nun screamed as his body fell to the floor, along with the gun.

* * *

Two weeks later…

"Hey, guys, I got two possible cases," Dean announced, entering the kitchen with two newspapers.

"Tell us about 'em, hon," Ellen requested from the sink, where Jo and Liz were helping her clean up the dishes from breakfast earlier.

"Well, got two deaths and possible demonic signs in Elizabethville, Ohio," Dean said, tossing the two papers on the table along with some research data that Penelope Garcia had dug up. "Garcia found that one, apparently some guy blows his head off in a church and another goes postal in a hobby shop before the cops take him out. Plus there seems to be a sudden boom of gambling and other sinful stuff going on, too."

"What are the demonic signs?" Bobby asked while cleaning the various parts of the Colt with a cloth.

"Dry lightning, barometric-pressure drop."

"Or it could just be a suicide and a psycho scrape-booker," Jo suggested while putting away a stack of clean dishes that she'd just dried.

"Maybe, but it could also be our best lead since Lincoln," Sam added. "What's the other case?"

Dean grinned and sat down before picking up the second newspaper. "Cicero, Indiana. Guy falls on his own power saw. _Back_ first."

Liz raised her eyebrows as she joined them at the table. "And? That…that's it? One power saw?"

Dean shrugged. "Well…yeah."

"And you think that this is a case?" Liz asked, grabbing the newspaper to look.

"Well, I don't know," Dean said off-handedly. "Could be."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Dean, stop lying."

Dean pouted, having forgotten that Sam still had his empathic ability while the electrical ability was fading, and the visions were completely gone. "Okay, there's something better in Cicero than just a case."

"And that is?" Jo asked.

Dean flushed. "Lisa Braeden."

"Should I even ask?" Sam wondered.

"Remember that road trip I took, uh…gosh, about eight years ago now?" Dean asked Sam and Liz. "You both were in Orlando with dad wrapping up that banshee thing."

Both Sam and Liz nodded, recalling that particular hunt that had _literally_ left their hair standing on end. "Yeah. The five states, five-day–"

"Well, kind of," Dean confessed. "Although I spent most of my time in Lisa Braeden's loft and not that much on the road."

"So, let me get this straight," Ellen said, joining them at the table. "Instead of going to a possible Sin City, you want to drive _all_ the way to Cicero just to hook up with some random chick?"

"She was a yoga teacher," Dean corrected, not admitting that he'd been tempted with the case in Elizabethville. "It was the _bendiest_ weekend of my life. Come on. Have a heart, huh?"

Both Liz and Sam sighed, not liking the images that Dean's description had just put in their heads and then looked a the two possible cases. If they _did_ go to Elizabethville, then there was a _strong_ chance of going up against a couple of powerful demons without any access to the Colt, which Bobby believed he might have up and ready in a couple of weeks now that he had the blueprints to work with.

And then there was Dean's desire to see this Lisa gal, who probably wouldn't even remember him after eight years…

"Are you even _sure_ that she still lives in Cicero?" Bobby asked, skeptical.

"I had Garcia check," Dean responded, grinning. "She lives in a house now, which happens to be in the same gated community as this guy who got killed. Come on, Sammy, Lizzy, please?"

Liz rolled her eyes while Sam chuckled. "Okay, _if_ we go to Cicero with you, Dean, then who will go to investigate Elizabethville?"

"Jo and I can," Ellen announced, just missing the relieved expression on Bobby's face since she'd been organizing all of his paperwork that was connected to his salvage yard work, and it was driving him up the wall.

"Yes!" Dean cheered, making his siblings laugh. "God knows I'm gonna be smiling after 24 hours with Gumby girl." He then chuckled to himself. "Gumby girl." He then frowned. "Does that make me Pokey?"

Liz rolled her eyes and threw the dishcloth at his head. "Dean, grow up."

* * *

Provo, Utah

Idris house…

"So, what kind of colors are you wanting for your wedding theme, Hannah?" Andrea Grayson asked her granddaughter, joining her at the kitchen table, which was covered with books, papers, and a whole lot of other stuff related to weddings.

"I don't really know," Hannah Idris admitted. "Until Johnny proposed, I never really thought about what I would want at my wedding, beside being held at the Provo temple and that both you and great-grandmother Martha would be making all of the dresses."

Andrea nodded sipping her herbal tea as she opened a book of wedding dresses designs. "Well, your mother had blue and green, plus we put up white Christmas lights at the park that the wedding reception was held at, and it was all very beautiful, plus a bit magical, too."

Hannah chuckled, recalling the wedding pictures of her parents' wedding and reception; it had been magical for them, and also for Ricky and Melinda when they had their wedding reception at the same park. "Well, both Johnny and I do want an outdoor reception, grandma."

"And if the weather turns bad?" Andrea asked, since it was possible.

"Johnny said that his dad's planning on renting out the ballroom and commons at UVSC as a backup should it turn stormy," Hannah responded, and then she sighed. "I've forgotten just how tough planning for a wedding can-" she then paused as she was hit by a vision and Andrea waited patiently.

Hannah blinked as the vision faded and she smiled. "Grandma, I know what colors I want… royal blue and lilac purple."

Andrea smiled. "Those are _wonderful_ colors, Hannah. Now we know what to work with."

"Yup," Hannah agreed, smiling. _'Now, I hope we can have the wedding before Liz's deal is up…hopefully.'_

* * *

Cicero, Indiana…

It was a few days later, when the Winchesters arrived in Cicero and, not wanting his siblings to meet Lisa just yet, Dean pulled up in front of the first motel that he could find. Both Sam and Liz got out of the car and got their bags out, too.

"Don't wait up for me, Sammy, Lizzy," Dean said cheerfully, revving the engine.

"Wait, Dean. Dean, you…Dean!" Sam yelped, barely getting the bag containing his laptop out, just as Dean drove off. "That _jerk_."

"Yeah," Liz agreed, rolling her eyes. "Come on, let's go get check in."

Sam agreed and they headed for the office.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Dean drove into the Cicero gate community, which had a few house under construction with a few piles of red dirt scattered about, plus there was a sign that stated the whole community was sold out. Soon he parked outside a nicely kept suburban house and turned the engine off. _'Let's hope this won't be a repeat of that last neighborhood and the bugs from two years ago.'_

Walking up the steps, Dean rang the doorbell, and the door opened to reveal Lisa, who was in her late twenties, brunette, very fit, and she was gorgeous. Dean smiled awkwardly, and Lisa stared at him, surprised.

"Lisa," he said, mildly embarrassed. "How's it going?"

Lisa didn't know what to say, surprised by his arrival. "Wow. So, how long has it been?"

Dean grinned. "Eight, going on nine years now. Crazy, right?"

"Yeah," Lisa agreed nervously. "So, what are you doing here?"

Dean shrugged. "Oh, I was just passing through, and I couldn't resist. I remember that you love surprises."

"Yeah. Dean Winchester," Lisa remarked, still smiling nervously. "Wow. Just…wow. I'm – I'm sorry. You kind of came at a bad time. We're having a party."

"A party?" Dean repeated, brightening up at the thought. "Well, I love parties." He then nudged past her and entered the house. Lisa took a deep breath and shut the door behind them.

* * *

She led him into the backyard, which was decorated for a kid's birthday party.

"So, uh, who's the party for?" Dean asked awkwardly upon seeing all of the kids running around. _'I_ so _walked into this one.'_

"Ben," Lisa answered, proudly. "My son."

' _Lisa has a kid? Since when?'_ Now Dean was even _more_ wrong-footed. "Oh. You have a-"

Lisa nodded. "Yep." She then gestured across the yard to a young boy, who was wearing a black jacket, blue shirt, and jeans, and he was opening presents. "That's him."

Just then, Ben unwrapped a CD. "Yes! AC/DC rules!" he cheered.

"How old-" Dean began.

"Eight," Lisa answered and then saw Dana entered the yard with her daughter, Katie. "Oh, Dean, could you excuse me a minute?"

Dean nodded, stunned by the news. "Yeah, sure. Don't mind me." Pulling himself together, he walked over to one of the tables holding food while noting how Ben was eating his sandwich, and smiled when he saw the race car cake. "Cool." And helped himself to a slice.

Meanwhile, two women were sitting in lawn chairs, watching Dean put a slice of cake onto a plate.

"Did you hear Lisa call him "Dean"?" one woman asked.

"Yeah. Why?" the second woman asked, who was also the local realtor.

"You don't know about Dean?" the first woman asked, surprised. "The Dean. Best-night-of-my-life Dean."

The realtor shook her head. "No. Tell me."

The first woman laughed. "Oh, my god, so, they had this crazy, semi-illegal-" She cut off when she saw Dean approach.

"Hi," Dean said, slightly nervous of how they were eying him.

"Hi," said the first woman.

"Hello," said the realtor, biting into a piece of celery.

Dean was _very_ uncomfortable; he smiled nervously and fled, almost going the wrong way, but quickly recovered, sort of.

* * *

Soon, he found Ben, who was also eating a piece of cake, and was eying the bounce toy that a lot of the kids, mostly girls, were playing on.

"What's up?" he asked.

"What's up with you?" Ben countered, keeping his eyes on the girls.

Dean chuckled. "So, it's your birthday."

"Guilty," Ben admitted.

Dean nodded. "It's a cool party."

Ben laughed. "Dude, it's so _freakin'_ sweet. And this moon bounce – it's _epic_."

Dean was slightly weird out by an eight-year-old talking like a teenager…or like him. "Yeah. It's pretty awesome."

"You know who else thinks they're awesome?" Ben asked, excited. "Chicks. It's like hot-chick city out there." Just then, a woman and her little girl walked by. In unison, Dean checked out the mom as Ben checked out the girl, and as they turned back, they both took a bite of their cake slices.

Ben finished his cake, put aside his plate, and then ran toward the bounce toy. "Look out, girls! Here comes _trouble_! Ye-ha!"

Dean watched Ben, thought frantically, and then darted toward the house, almost crashing into a trashcan. _'There's_ no way _…is there?'_

* * *

In the kitchen, Lisa was pouring a couple of drinks and handed one to Dana, who was looking _very_ frazzled. "So…how you holding up?"

"Fine," Dana responded, sipping her drink, but it was obvious that she was anything _but_ okay as she glanced at Katie, who was standing in the middle of the backyard with a toy bear in one hand, and was just watching the other kids.

"Really?" Lisa asked, not looking convinced.

Dana sighed. "Oh, you know. I just…never mind."

"What?" Lisa asked, concerned for her friend.

"It's just…I'm worried about Katie," Dana admitted. "I think there might be something… wrong with her."

"Of course there is," Lisa said, thinking that she knew what was going on. "The poor girl just lost her dad. She's devastated."

Dana shook her head. "No. That's not what I'm talking about. There is something really… _wrong_ with her. I'm not sure that Katie is…Katie."

Now Lisa was confused. "What?"

"I'm not sure that's my daughter," Dana confessed, voicing her fears.

"I know you're grieving, but you can't talk like that," Lisa said seriously. "Katie needs you. But you don't understand – seriously. We're _gonna_ get you help. It'll be okay."

Just then, Dean entered, and Dana shook her head and ran outside to her daughter; he watched her leave, confused.

"Katie?" Dana said, kneeling next to her daughter. "Come on, we're leaving."

Dean shook his head and turned to Lisa, who was watching her friend. "So, I, uh, met Ben. Cool kid."

Lisa nodded vaguely. "Yeah."

"I couldn't help but notice that, uh, he's turning eight," Dean remarked. "You and me… you know."

Lisa blinked and looked at him, surprised. "You're…not trying to ask me if he's yours?" she asked before opening a cabinet and pulling something out.

Dean quickly shook his head. "No. No, of course not." He then took a breath. "He's not, is he?"

Lisa looked back at him, startled. "What?" and he raised his eyebrows. "No."

Dean nodded, but he wasn't convinced. "Right." He then looked out at Katie and her mom. "Something wrong with your friend?"

Lisa glanced at Dana, who was now leaving with Katie. "She's been through a lot. Her ex just died in this horrible accident."

"Oh, yeah," Dean said, recalling the article that he used as an excuse originally. "Didn't I just read about that? The power saw."

Lisa nodded. "Yeah. Guess there's been a lot of bad luck in the neighborhood lately."

"What kind of bad luck?" Dean asked. _'Is there something else going on that wasn't in the news?'_

* * *

At the motel, Liz was sitting in the room by herself since Sam had left to do work on the translation somewhere else, which had her worried since it wasn't like him to go off on his own like that, and she was now idly turning the page on a magazine of bridesmaid dresses since she'd just gotten a call from Hannah, who was wanting her to be one of her bridesmaids.

' _I_ think _my brain is going to melt from boredom,'_ she thought, tossing the magazine aside in frustration. She was thrilled that she was going to be a part of Hannah's wedding plans, but she wasn't into dresses, and the fact that Victor Henriksen was now heading to Utah was causing additional tension of _when_ to hold the wedding.

Liz was now thinking of going out for a walk when her cell-phone rang and she answered it. "Hello?"

 _`"Hey, Liz, it's Jo,"`_ said Jo, who was sounding a bit frazzled.

"Hey, Jo. How's the hunt goin'?" Liz asked.

 _`"Frustrating,"`_ Jo answered. _`"And there's this flashy nut-job here named Richie, whose insisting that he got the whole thing covered."`_

"Richie?" Liz repeated, and then groaned. "Aw, jeeze, how is it that he's still breathin'?"

 _`"You know him?"`_ Jo asked, surprised. _`"Is he a hunter?"`_

"Sort of," Liz answered. "A few years back, Dean and I were in Ganovski, where we had to save him from a succubus, and he got it into his head after that, that he should be a hunter. Dean _tried_ to talk him out of it…"

 _`"And it didn't take,"`_ Jo concluded. _`"Well, hopefully mom can talk some sense into him, or pound it into him if she has to."`_

Liz laughed. "Well, I wish Ellen the best of luck then. So, is it demons?"

 _`"Could be,"`_ Jo admitted. _`"We should know more after we go to the local bar…man, I can't believe Dean turned down a chance to come here. This place is_ so _Margaritaville right now. I mean, there's gambling, drinking, and a whole lot of other stuff that would send a bunch of LDS missionaries running away for the safety of their_ own _souls."`_

"I'll take your word for it," Liz said, grimacing at the image that just popped into her head. _'I_ so _need to scrub my brain out right now.'_

 _`"So, how's things goin' with Dean's old flame?"`_ Jo asked.

"I have _no_ idea," Liz admitted. "Dean dumped me and Sam at the first motel he could find and headed off to see Lisa without us. In other words, Dean is just being Dean again."

Jo laughed. _`"Yeah, that's Dean all right. So what're you and Sam doin'?"`_

Liz sighed. "Sam left to do some research or something about ten minutes ago and I'm stuck at the motel all alone, trying to choose a bridesmaid dress design since Hannah called earlier and wants me to be one of her bridesmaids. Jo, I'm worried about Sam."

 _`"Why?"`_

"Well, back at the Devil's gate, when Azazel had me pinned down, he said something to me that I haven't been able to get out of my head," Liz admitted, now standing up and pacing.

 _`"What did that yellow-eyed freak tell you?"`_ Jo asked.

"He said that I couldn't be sure that when Sam came back from _wherever_ , that…maybe he came back different," Liz said, frustrated and worried.

 _`"Different how?"`_

"I don't know," Liz admitted. "Whatever it was, it didn't sound good. You think…think something's wrong with my brother?"

 _`"Liz, you know as well as I do that demons lie,"`_ Jo said seriously. _`"And I'm sure that ol' yellow-eyes said that just to mess with your head, girl. Both Dean and Sam are_ fine _, and the only thing off about them, is Dean's eatin' habits and Sam's readin' habits."`_

Liz chuckled. "Yeah, I guess you're right, Jo. Let me know how your hunt turns out."

 _`"Right back at ya."`_

Liz shut her phone, sighed, and sat down on the nearest bed while clicking the TV on, just in time to see a new press conference being headed by JJ, who was talking to a bunch of reporters in Portland, Oregon, where they were investigating a case where young people were being killed by the things that scared them the most. _'Hmm, I wonder if they've had any luck in findin' Gordon?'_

* * *

Meanwhile, Sam was sitting in a diner, doing both research on the man who was killed by his own power saw and grimaced when he saw that it had gone through his back, which meant he either tripped or was shoved by something, and was also working on the translation of the spell that could dispel a demon.

He looked up when he sensed something demonic entered the diner and he frowned when the blonde woman that had showed up in Lincoln sat down across from him in his corner booth. "You."

The woman smiled. "Hello, Sam."

* * *

A/N: And now I leave you all with a cliffy! Also, if you know who the strange woman is, share your answer in a review. Come on, I _dare_ you to review, they make me happy and make my muses happy, too. R &R everyone!


	2. Chapter 2: CREEPY CHILDREN

Supernatural: The Kids Are Alright

A/N: Here's the next chapter, folks! Also, it's Yami Faerie's birthday today, so please read her stories and tell her happy birthday through your reviews. ;)

Read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from _Supernatural_ or _Criminal Minds_. I just own any and all characters that I just happen create.

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWO: CREEPY CHILDREN**

" _Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul_ _is_ _even as a weaned child_ _."_

 _Psalm 131:2_

Sam stared intensely at the female demon, trying to gage her emotions with his empathy and noted that while he couldn't get a decent fix on them, which was typical when dealing with demons, he also noted that her emotions were different…almost _human._

"You're a demon, aren't you?" he asked quietly, not wanting anyone to overhear.

The woman smirked, plucked a small plate off the table behind her, squirted a mound of ketchup into it, and started eating Sam's fries, ignoring his exasperated expression. "Not much gets by you, huh?" she then held up a fry covered with ketchup. "These are _amazing_. It's like…deep-fried crack. _Try_ some." And she held out the fry to him.

"No thanks," Sam said coldly, having just lost his appetite. "Who are you? And _why_ are you following me?"

"Well, since you asked _so_ nicely, my name is Ruby," Ruby answered, chewing on another fry, "and I want to help you."

"I _doubt_ that," Sam said, scowling. "I've seen that knife before…last year, in fact, and a demon named Jed was threatening Azazel when he was possessing my sister, Liz."

Ruby nodded. "Yeah, that's true, but it's my now, and now that ol' yellow eyes is dead, someone _new_ is in charge."

"Who?" Sam asked.

Ruby chuckled. "If I did know, I would probably tell you, Sammy. But I don't…not yet, and what I do know is that the new leader wants _you_ dead, and those truly loyal to Azazel have gone into hiding."

' _This must be the same demon that wanted all of the special children dead,'_ Sam realized. "Okay, so if you _are_ tellin' the truth, then why don't you kill the new leader yourself since you got that knife?"

"I could, but helpin' you and your siblings is more fun," Ruby countered. "Anyways, you've got the Colt."

"Liz used the last bullet on Azazel and it isn't workin' right now," Sam corrected, his forehead furrowed.

Ruby shrugged. "For now maybe. But you have access to your grandparents' library and I'm sure that the information that you need is in there somewhere." She then offered him another fry. "Come on, Sammy, for me?"

"It's _Sam_ ," Sam snapped, "and I'm not about to touch _any_ food that you've touched, Ruby."

Ruby pouted. "Well, that's your loss. Anyway, it's a good thing that your dad _found_ that library since Azazel made sure that _all_ of your mom's closest friends and relatives were all killed." She then raised an eyebrow at Sam's startled expression. "You… _don't know_." She chuckled again. "You've got a little bit of catching _up_ to do, my friend." She then shut Sam's laptop, grabbed both his pen and his hand, and wrote on it. "So, why don't you look into your mom's pals, and then give me a call and we'll talk again?" she then got up to leave. "And, by the way, you _do_ know there's a job in this town, right?"

Sam watched her leave, dumbfounded. _'Who_ else _did Azazel order to have kill that are connected to me?'_ pulling himself together, he dropped a twenty on the table, packed up his stuff, and headed back for the motel.

* * *

Sam returned to the motel, just in time to see Liz answering her phone. "Hey, Dean. How's it goin' with your girlfriend?" and he repressed a laugh while Liz grinned at him.

 _`"Ha, ha,_ very _funny,"`_ Dean growled, scowling since she had put her phone on speaker. _`"Sam, you there?"`_

"Yeah, I'm here," Sam responded, joining Liz on the bed. "You okay?"

 _`"I'm fine,"`_ Dean responded, although the tone of his voice said otherwise. _`"Turns out that there's a_ real _job here, dude."`_

"Really?" Sam and Liz both asked surprised.

 _`"_ _Yeah,"`_ Dean confirmed. _`"You know that one freak accident we read about in the paper? There are_ four more _that never even_ made _the paper, all in this Morning Hill gated community. People falling off of ladders and drowning in their jacuzzis_ all over _the neighborhood_ _."`_

"That _is_ weird," Liz agreed, frowning.

 _`"Yeah, something's up,"`_ Dean commented, fully agreeing. _`"Something these nice, big gates can't protect them from_ _."`_

"So what should we do?" Sam asked.

 _`"Right now, I want you two to research the other deaths and call up Garcia to see if she can provide any help,"`_ Dean instructed. _`"I'm headin' back to the motel right now."`_

"All right, we'll see you soon," said Liz and shut her phone. "What're the odds that there's an _actual_ case?"

Sam shrugged. "If the same thing hadn't happen last year when we went to visit mom's grave, I'd say a thousand to one."

Liz chuckled recalling the undead woman that'd almost strangled her and Sam obtained his Jedi mind-trick. "Good point."

* * *

When Dean reached the motel room, Sam and Liz hadn't found anything to connect the other accidents to the one that _had_ reached the papers, and Penelope was going to get back to them about the gated community itself.

"So, the _only_ thing that we know is that they all live in the same community, and they're all men," Dean concluded.

"Yup. And that's all for the moment," Sam agreed and noted the changes in their brother's emotions. "You okay, Dean?"

"Yeah, why shouldn't I be?" Dean countered and then rolled his eyes when he saw the looks that his siblings were giving him. _'Dammit,_ why _can't Sam lose that stupid empathic ability?'_ "Fine, it turns out that _Lisa_ is now a _single_ mom and has a _son_ named Ben, who just happen to turn _eight_ years old today."

Now, _this_ was unexpected as both Sam and Liz exchanged surprised looks. "So, you think that-?"

"Yeah, I might _actually_ be a father," Dean confirmed, spooked. "Although Lisa's insisted that I'm _not_ , but…" and he shrugged.

Liz chuckled. "Well, you could be a _great_ dad, Dean."

Dean shrugged again. "Yeah, I guess so. So, is there _anything_ else that you guys found out?"

"Nope, although that blonde woman from Lincoln showed up at the diner earlier," Sam informed them, agreeing with their startled expressions and emotions. "Yeah, and I've learned quite a bit, including the fact that she _is_ a demon."

"Wait a minute," Dean said, trying to process all of this. "A _demon_ is wielding a knife that can _kill_ demons, and she saved your life when dealin' with the seven deadly sins?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, and _believe_ me that it's a surprise for me, too."

"So, what else did you learn about her?" Liz asked.

Sam shrugged. "Well, her name is Ruby, she wants to help me for some reason, and she also told me that when ol' yellow eyes died, a _new_ demon is in charge of hell, and all of Azazel's followers have gone into hidin'."

"Could it be the same demon that wanted to stop Azazel's plan?" Liz asked.

"That's what I'm thinkin'," Sam agreed. "And when I examined her emotions, they _almost_ seemed human."

" _Almost_?" Dean repeated. "Sam, she's a _demon_ , and there's _no way_ that a demon can have human emotions…at least not emotions that can fool someone like you."

"Dean, think about it," Liz countered before Sam could open his mouth. "When I was possessed by Azazel, I picked up on that fact that all demons _used_ to be human before they ended up in hell, and that's why they're _so_ protective of their human bones. I mean… _think_ about what happen when Lee's bones were burned when we were dealin' with Freddy Krueger."

Dean didn't know how to respond to that since Liz _did_ have a point. "Ok, let's just _forget_ about Ruby, and let's focus on the case instead."

Both Sam and Liz agreed to this, and they went to work on finding a connection between the victims.

* * *

That night, Dana was dozing on the couch, with the book _The Historian_ next to her. Unknown to her, Katie was sitting on the couch arm next to her, with _no_ emotion on her face.

After a moment, Dana woke up and sat up, startled when she saw her daughter. "Katie. What are you doing?"

"Play with me, mommy," Katie requested sweetly and smiled, which didn't reach her eyes.

Dana nodded. "Okay. Sure. Yeah let's, um, let's play." And she stood up, walking out of the living room, and stopped when Katie hugged her from behind.

"Oh, good," she said happily. "I love you, mommy."

"I love you too, sweetie," Dana responded, turning around and hugging her daughter back. Just then, she looked at the mirror that was directly above the fireplace mantel, and froze when she saw that her daughter now had gray and molten skin with oily black hair.

'Katie' looked up at her. "I'm hungry, mommy."

Dana looked down at the _thing_ that was pretending to be her daughter and then back at the mirror and the reflection was normal. "Yeah." _What_ was going on?

* * *

The next day, the Winchesters headed out to interview the families who'd been affected by the accidents. Sam, dressed in a dark suit and posing as an insurance agent, was speaking to another young mother, a dark-haired woman named Mrs. Harris.

"So, once again, I'm _very_ sorry to disturb you," Sam said politely, gently nudging her mind. "We just really want to expedite that life-insurance policy."

"Of course," Mrs. Harris agreed. "Okay." And she took him around back, where a ladder was leaning against the wall and near a window that was boarded up. "This is, um, where he fell."

Sam nodded and glanced at her. "I see. Now, how exactly did he-?"

"He was just inside changing a light bulb," Mrs. Harris explained, still shaken by the experience. "Must have lost his balance."

"Were you here when this happened?" Sam asked.

Mrs. Harris shook her head. "No. I was out. Uh, the only one here was our daughter, Dakota." And she gestured inside, where a blond-haired girl was staring at them.

Sam noted that 'Dakota's' emotions were offish, and as he looked at the accident site, he noticed that something dark red was smudged on the windowsill and on a nearby railing. "Okay," he said, slightly unnerved by the girl constantly staring at him. "Okay. Well, uh, I think that's all I need. I'll get out of your way now."

"Thank you," Mrs. Harris said, turning to go back inside.

Sam began following her, and it was then that he saw a strange red circular-like bite-mark on the back of her neck. _'What the_ hell _is that?'_

* * *

Meanwhile, Dana was cooking a grill-cheese sandwich for her daughter and gingerly rubbing the back of her neck, which had a stabbing pain in it. Doing her best to ignore it, she slid the food onto a plate and carried it over to the counter, where 'Katie' was sitting on a stool, and set it before her.

"Here you go, honey."

"Thank you, mommy," said 'Katie', staring blankly at the plate.

"You eat," Dana instructed. "Mommy will be right back."

* * *

Frazzled almost to the point of breaking, Dana entered the bathroom and shut the door, locking it; she then leaned over the sink, splashing some water on her face, and then pulled her hair away from her neck to figure out why it was hurting.

"Oh God," she moaned upon seeing the strange red bite-mark. "What is _happening_ to me?" she then jumped when there was a loud pounding on the door.

 _`"Mommy?"`_ 'Katie' asked, trying the knob and found it locked.

"Just – just give mommy a second," Dana gasped, grabbing a hand mirror and turned her back, using the two reflections to examine her neck better, and was beginning to cry.

 _`"Let me in. Mommy!"`_ 'Katie' shouted, pounding on the door and rattling the doorknob. _`"Let me in. Mommy! Let me in! What are you doing?! Let me in! Let me in! Let me in! Let me in! Let me in! Let me in!"`_

Dana set the mirror down and wept into her hands, scared out of her wits. "Give mommy a minute."

The pounding and rattling continued to build, until the doorbell rang, and it stopped suddenly.

Spooked by the sudden silence, Dana pulled herself together the best she could, and headed out to the front door, where the realtor woman was holding out a gift basket, and looking down at 'Katie', who was silently staring up at her.

"Aren't you just the _cutest_ thing?" the realtor asked sweetly and smiled at Dana.

"Oh, thank you," Dana said, doing her best to smile as she took the basket. "Uh, Katie, could you put these in the kitchen, please?" 'Katie' took the basket and carried it to the kitchen.

"Katie seems okay, considering," the realtor commented.

Dana nodded distractedly. "She's fine. Yeah. Um, look, I'm-"

"And you – how are you doing really?" the realtor asked, cutting in.

"I'm fine," Dana lied, "look, we're fine. Um, this isn't a good time."

The realtor ignored her. "I wasn't sure if you were keeping the house or selling. We at Cicero Realty would like-"

"Look, I told you, it's not a good time!" Dana snapped. She shut the door and went back into the kitchen, where 'Katie' greeted her with another hug.

"I want ice cream. Mommy," she requested with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Ice cream, please."

* * *

Meanwhile, Liz was talking with another mother, who'd came home to find the babysitter dead, apparently having electrocuted himself while cooking dinner for her son in the kitchen due to some faulty wiring in one of the walls near the stove.

"Thank you for your time, Mrs. Lakeridge," Liz said as she left, having examined the kitchen and been stared at by the son in a creepy manner. When she got outside, she slipped to the side of the house, having noticed a strange red stain on the kitchen windowsill.

Making sure that no one would see her, Liz examined the outside of the window, finding more of the same red stuff, and scrapped some off into a vial. _'Hmm, it's dry, but it isn't blood…I think.'_ Pocketing it, she then hurried off. _'I'll send this rush to Reid and Garcia, and see if they can id it.'_

* * *

Dean headed for the Impala, having investigated another of the apparent accident sites, and was about to unlock the door when he noticed Ben, who was sitting sadly on a park bench. Pocketing his keys, he walked over to the bench and sat down next to the kid. "Hey, Ben."

Ben looked at him, surprised. "Hey. You were at my party."

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm Dean," Dean responded, noting Ben's sad expression, and the empty leather pouch he was holding. "Everything okay? Something wrong?" he looked over to a group of boys that were playing with a game-boy-type thingy. "Is that your game they're playing with?"

Ben nodded, sadly. "Ryan Humphrey borrowed it, and now he won't give it back."

' _Bullies, of course,'_ Dean thought, looking back at the kid. "Well, you want me to go…" and he started to stand up.

"No!" Ben protested, grabbing his arm. "Don't go over there! Only bitches send a grown-up."

Dean nodded, while surprised by the kid's language. "You're not wrong."

"And I'm not a bitch," Ben added, turning away, and still upset.

Dean glanced back at the bullies and nodded to the overweight kid that was holding the game. "Is that Humphrey? The one that needs to lay off the burgers?"

Ben nodded, smiling slightly, and Dean leaned in conspiratorially, getting an idea.

* * *

A few minutes later, Ben walked across the park to the group of boys, and they were all bigger than he was.

"Ryan," he said, after clearing his throat twice, and the bullies all turned to face him, "I'd like my game back, please."

"Fine," Ryan said threateningly. "Take it back."

Ben looked back at Dean, nervous, and Dean gave him an encouraging thumbs-up. Taking a breath, he looked back at Ryan for a moment, and then turned as if to leave.

"See?" Ryan laughed, turning away. "Told you guys he was a-" he then cried out when Ben turned back suddenly and kicked him hard between the legs, twice.

Ryan crumpled to the ground, making the other bullies jump backward in fear, and Ben took the game back. "Thanks." He then went back to the bench and a grinning Dean, who he immediately high-five. "Dude, that was awesome!"

Just then, Lisa, who had seen the end of the exchange, stormed over. "Benjamin Isaac Braeden! What's gotten into you?"

Ben cringed. "He stole my game."

"So you kick him?" Lisa demanded, shocked. "Since when is…" and she looked at Dean, who was still grinning. "Did you tell my son to beat up that kid?" and both he and Ben looked down at the same time, the kid stuffing his game into the pouch.

"What?" Dean asked defensively. "Somebody had to teach him how to kick the bully in the nads."

Lisa glared at him. "Who asked _you_ to teach him _anything_?"

Dean shrugged. "Just relax."

Scowling, Lisa grabbed Dean by his arm and pulled him away from Ben, facing him with barely controlled rage. "What are you even still doing _here_? We had _one_ weekend together…a _million_ years ago. You don't know me. You have _no business_ with my son."

"Lisa," Dean began, shocked.

"Just leave us alone," Lisa snapped, walking back to the bench to grab her son's arm. They began to leave, but Ben pulled out of her grip and ran back to Dean, giving him an impulsive hug.

"Ben!" Lisa exclaimed.

Ben smiled up at Dean. "Thanks." And he ran back to Lisa and they left.

Dean watched them leave, touched and surprised by what Ben had done, and then he noticed a girl and two boys watching Lisa and Ben before turning as one to stare at him. _'Okay,_ that's _just creepy.'_

* * *

That night, Dana was strapping 'Katie' into her car seat, which wasn't easy since the thing that was pretending to be her daughter kept touching and petting her.

"I love you most in the whole wide world, mommy."

"Um, me too, sweetie," Dana said uneasily, struggling with the seatbelt. "Come on, hold still."

Once the seatbelt was in place, Dana got out, shut the door, and then got into the driver's seat; breathing hard, she flipped down a mirror and froze when she a distorted face with black holes for eyes and a circular teeth-filled hole for a mouth. _'Oh God!'_

"What's wrong, mommy?" 'Katie' asked when she looked back.

Dana swallowed and turned back, flipping the mirror back up and started the car. "Nothing, sweetie."

"Are we going for ice cream now?" 'Katie' asked.

"Yeah, we're going for ice cream," Dana responded, pulling out of the driveway.

* * *

An hour later, Dana drove the car to the edge of a lake and put the brakes on while the engine continued rumbling. Taking a breath, she removed the keychain while the car key remained in the ignition, got out, and released the brakes, allowing the car to roll forward toward the water.

Still emotionless, 'Katie' turned and watched Dana as the car rolled into the water and sank with a bunch of bubbles.

* * *

After walking all the way back, Dana reached her home and went inside, slamming and locking the door behind her, all the while crying.

She then entered the kitchen and gasped, for seated over a puddle of water, was 'Katie', who was dripping wet.

'Katie' turned toward her, smiling in a _very_ creepy way. "Can I have the ice cream now?"

* * *

A/N: Now that I've finished this chapter, I'm going to hid behind the couch for a bit. R&R everyone!


	3. Chapter 3: CHANGELINGS

Supernatural: The Kids Are Alright

A/N: Here's the next chapter for this story, and I hope you all are enjoying it and I would really love to get some reviews about what you think.

Read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from _Supernatural_ or _Criminal Minds_. I just own any and all characters that I just happen create.

* * *

 **CHAPTER THREE: CHANGELINGS**

" _They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed_ _."_

 _Psalm 102:26_

Later that same night, Sam and Liz were in their motel room, comparing notes and researching on the laptop when Dean entered with a bag full of take-out food.

"Something's wrong with the kids in this town."

"Yeah. Tell us about it," Sam agreed while looking at several documents on Changelings. "So, what do you know about changelings?"

"Evil monster babies?" Dean guessed.

"No, not necessarily babies," Liz corrected, setting down a book she'd been reading.

Dean realized what they meant. "The kids. Creepy, "stare at you like you're lunch" kids?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah. There's one at every victim's house."

* * *

After eating, Sam was now sitting on the bed doing more research, while both Dean and Liz were preparing a couple of kerosene torches.

"So, changelings can perfectly mimic children," Sam explained. "According to lore, they climb in the window, snatch the kid. There were marks on the windowsill at one of the kid's houses. Looked to me like blood."

"It's not blood," Liz informed them. "I took a sample and sent it to Reid and Garcia, and they confirmed that it's red dirt, which is local to the area."

"Well, that's good."

* * *

Unable to cope with the stress, Dana was now asleep, with a bottle of sleeping pills lying open on the bedside table. 'Katie' was sitting next to her, staring at the back of her mom's neck. She brushed back the hair from her mom's neck to reveal the bite mark. Her face then morphed, and she leaned into Dana's neck to feed.

* * *

"The changeling grabs a kid, assumes its form, joins the happy family just for kicks?" Dean asked.

"Not quite," Sam corrected. "Changelings feed on the mom: synovial fluid. The moms have these odd bruises on the back of their necks. Changelings can drain them for a few weeks before mom finally croaks."

"That _does_ explain the markings I saw," Liz remarked, grimacing at the memory, "and the creepy kids."

Dean thought about the so-call accidents. "And then there's dad and the babysitter…"

Sam nodded. "Yeah. Seems like anyone who gets between the changeling and its food source ends up dead."

Dean held up the torch. "And fire's the only way to waste them?" and both Sam and Liz nodded. "Great. We'll just bust in, drag the kids out, and torch them on the front lawn. That will play great with the neighbors. What about the real ones? What happens to them?"

Sam shrugged. "They stash them underground somewhere, which _does_ explain the dirt. I don't know why, but if it's true, the real kids might be out there."

"We better start looking," Dean commented, standing up, and then a thought struck him. "So, _any_ kid in the neighborhood is vulnerable?"

"Yep."

' _Oh God,'_ Dean thought, realizing what that most likely meant. "We gotta make a stop. I want to check on someone."

"If the real kids are still alive, we don't have time-" Liz began.

"We _have_ to," Dean insisted, grabbing his jacket and heading for the door.

Sam and Liz exchanged bewilder looks. _What_ was going on with their brother now?

* * *

"Dean, where are we going?" Sam asked, but Dean didn't answer, and it wasn't until he parked in front of one of the houses that Sam and Liz realized where they were.

"Is this Lisa's house?" Liz asked, leaning forward between the seats for a better look.

"Yep, and you're both stayin' right here," Dean responded, getting out of the car and headed for the door.

"He's worried about Ben and Lisa," Sam realized.

"Yeah," Liz agreed, and then noticed something on one of the windowsills, something red…"Sam, look."

Sam looked at the house and saw the red dirt. "Oh no…" he then concentrated on the house itself, reaching out to the emotions inside, and could sense one pair of human emotions and- "Shit! We gotta warn Dean!"

* * *

Unaware that the changelings had already been there, Dean rang the doorbell, and Lisa opened the door, looking bewildered.

"Dean?"

"Listen, Lisa, I'm sorry for giving Ben that kind of advice earlier," Dean apologized. "And I was thinking…Ben's birthday. I didn't bring him a present."

"That's okay," Lisa told him. "And thank you for apologizing, Dean, but it's late-"

"No. No, no, I feel terrible," Dean insisted, pulling out his wallet, "so, uh…" he riffled through it and handed her a credit card. "Here. Take a long weekend – just the two of you – on me."

Now Lisa was confused, taking the card. "What?"

"I hear Six Flags is great this time of year," Dean continued. "Go now. Avoid the traffic."

Before Lisa could say anything, or even look at the credit card, both Sam and Liz ran up.

"Sam, Liz, I thought I told you both to stay in the car," Dean exclaimed.

Lisa looked at the three Winchesters, her confusion growing. "Wait, are these your siblings you told me about?"

Dean flushed. "Yeah, that's Liz, my twin sister, and that's Sam, our younger brother."

"Before you say anything about my height, I had a couple of growing spurts while in middle school and high school," Sam cut in and then faced Dean. "We're too late, the changelings have already been here."

"Are you sure?" Dean asked, alarmed while Lisa was just confused.

"There's red dirt on one of the windowsills," Liz responded. "They've already grabbed Ben, Dean."

"What're you all talking about?" Lisa asked, confused, looking between them. "And what does this have to do with my son?"

Before anyone could respond, 'Ben' came down the stairs in his pj's, and Sam tensed when he felt the inhuman emotions, and both Dean and Liz frowned when they saw the kid's emotionless face. _'Dammit!'_

"Mommy, what's wrong?" 'Ben' asked, reaching the landing and looking at them all blankly.

"Nothing's wrong, honey," Lisa said reassuringly before facing Dean and shoving the card into his hand. "Dean, I don't know what you're up to, but I need you and your siblings to leave. Right now."

Sam, however, gently pushed Lisa aside and stepped into the house, staring intensely at 'Ben'. "Lisa, this _isn't_ your son."

"What?" Lisa asked, confused.

"Are you sure?" Dean asked, mainly for Lisa's benefit.

Sam nodded. "Yeah, I've been around enough of them to know what their emotions feel like. This _isn't_ Ben."

"Make them go away, mommy," 'Ben' requested, still staring at Sam expressionlessly. "I love you, mommy, please make them go away."

Lisa grabbed Sam's arm and tried to shove him back toward the door. "You heard him. Get out."

Sam pulled his arm free while Liz grabbed Lisa's shoulder, hoping to talk some sense into her.

"Lisa, you've known Ben his _entire_ life," she said as calmly as possible. "Think about it. _When_ has he _ever_ called you 'mommy'?"

Lisa frowned, thinking about that glanced at Dean, who nodded, hoping that she would believe them. "If that's not my son, then who is he?" and she glanced back at 'Ben'.

"It's more of an _it_ then a he," Sam said, fixing 'Ben' with a hard look. "Show us your true form," he ordered.

Lisa gasped in fright when 'Ben' morphed into a humanoid with discolored, slimy skin, hollow eyes, and a round mouth filled with sharp teeth. "Oh my God! What _is_ that thing?!" she staggered backward and Dean caught her while the changeling advanced toward them.

"It's known as a changeling," Liz explained while Sam raised his hand and used his telekinesis to stop the thing in its' tracks before shoving it into the nearest closest and blocking the door with a large bookcase. "That should hold it-" and winced when the pounding started "-hopefully."

"Assuming that this is all real," Lisa said as they headed for the Impala, "and not some bad dream, then where's my son? And is he still alive?"

"He is," Dean said reassuringly, "and I think I know where he and the other kids are being held."

* * *

It wasn't long before Dean pulled up in front of one of the semi-finished houses, which had a large mound of red dirt in front of it.

"It's the same red dirt," Liz confirmed as they all got out of the car and Dean opened the trunk.

"Wow, you're certainly prepared for anything," Lisa commented upon seeing their arsenal. "What're those?" she asked as Dean shoved the makeshift flamethrowers into three bags, two of which he handed to Sam and Liz.

"Flamethrowers," Dean answered, shouldering his own bag. "Fire's the only thing that can kill these things. Sam, you and Liz take the front. Lisa and I will go around back."

"Right."

* * *

Finding the backdoor open, both Dean and Lisa slipped inside and made their way to the unfinished basement, where they found a series of cages, each containing the kids that'd been abducted, and also the realtor lady, who was looking half-starved.

Lisa spotted a familiar small hand reaching through the top of the cage toward her, and she ran forward with a small cry. It was Ben, who was wearing his letterman jacket. "Ben!"

Dean quickly joined her, relieved to see that the active eight-year-old was alive and all right. "Ben…Ben…it's okay. We're gonna get you out of here." He then handed Lisa his bag and pulled out a crowbar so that he could start working on the locks.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sam and Liz were searching the front of the unfinished house with their flashlights. Finding a dead end, they turned to go back, and found their way blocked by the red-haired 'realtor woman'.

"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded angrily.

Both Sam and Liz were about to respond, when he realized that the woman's emotions were inhuman, and Liz saw what was reflected in a nearby mirror…the woman was a changeling!

"This is private property," the 'realtor' snapped. "I'm calling the police. You heard me! Get out!"

"Let me get my bag," Sam said slowly, reaching for his bag. "We're going. We don't mean to cause any trouble."

"Yeah," Liz agreed, slowly reaching into her pocket, "we'll be leaving _now_!" she then tossed Sam a lighter and got out of the way as he pulled out his flamethrower and let loose with a large stream of fire.

After a few seconds, Sam turned it off and saw that the 'realtor' had escaped. "Dammit, she got away."

"We better find Dean, Lisa, and the kids before that thing does," Liz agreed, pulling out a second lighter and they headed for the basement.

* * *

Meanwhile, Dean soon broke all the locks off the cages and was helping Lisa get Ben, the other kids, and the real realtor lady out.

"It's ok. Get out here, okay? Come on, girls! Come on!" Dean then cleared off a nearby windowsill and prepared to smash the glass. "Everybody back! Everybody back!" Lisa and Ben helped to usher the other kids and the realtor lady away. "Cover your eyes!" He then broke the window with a plank of wood, and began to brush the glass off.

Ben quickly took off his jacket. "Here. Use this."

Dean smiled and took the jacket, using it to get rid of the broken glass and then laid it on the windowsill. "All right. All right, Ben. Come on."

Ben shook his head and indicating another kid. "Him first."

Lisa was helping Dean lift the boy up to the window when both Sam and Liz came running in.

"Hey! Dean! There's a mother."

"A mother changeling?" Dean asked, surprised.

Sam nodded and noticed the realtor lady, who was sitting on a nearby crate. "Yeah, it looks just like her. We got to get these kids out quick."

"I'm with you there," Dean agreed and helped a girl get out. "Give us a hand here."

Liz went to help the realtor lady stand up as Sam helped get a few more kids out the window.

* * *

At her home, Dana was hiding in the bathroom again, huddled on the floor while having the water run in the shower, and was crying as 'Katie' screamed and pounded at the door.

 _`"Mommy? Mommy? Let me in! What are you doing?! Let me in! Let me in! Let me in! Let me in!"`_

' _Oh God,'_ Dana thought, having reached her limit. _'Make it go away._ Please _make it go away!'_

* * *

There were only a few more kids left in the basement, which included Ben, and the realtor lady had just barely squeezed through the window when the real Katie spotted the mother changeling heading toward her, and she screamed.

Hissing, the 'realtor' launched herself toward the kids, only to find herself frozen in mid-air thanks to Sam, giving Liz a chance to herd the remaining kids toward the window, Ben leading the way.

"Come on!"

"Ben, Lisa, get them out of here!" Dean ordered as he and Liz hurried forward to help Sam, who was still keeping the mother changeling at bay as she morphed into her true form, and snarled at them all.

* * *

Once Ben and the remaining kids were out, Lisa pulled herself out next, grabbed her son's jacket, and hurried the whole group to the waiting car.

"What about Dean and his siblings?" Ben asked, worried.

"Don't worry, honey," Lisa said reassuringly. "They know what they're doing." _'I hope.'_

* * *

Back in the house, Dean and Liz prepped their flamethrowers and nodded to Sam. "Okay, we're ready."

Sam returned the nod and released the mother changeling, who let out a surprised yelp as it face-planted onto the floor. It didn't take very long to get up and charge at them, only to get fried to a crisp by the flamethrowers, and this caused all of the other changelings in the community to go up in flames, too.

Once again, the Winchesters had saved the day.

* * *

A/N: Crispy changeling anyone? R&R everyone!


	4. Chapter 4: TRUTH AND TRUST

Supernatural: The Kids Are Alright

A/N: Well, here's the final chapter on this story, folks. I do hope that you all have been enjoying it so far, so please leave a review, which will make me happy and will also make my muses happy, too.

Read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from _Supernatural_ or _Criminal Minds_. I just own any and all characters that I just happen create.

* * *

 **CHAPTER FOUR: TRUTH AND TRUST**

" _And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you,_ _then_ _come_ _and_ _put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon_ _."_

 _Judges 9:15_

The sun was rising by the time that the Winchesters returned the kids to their grateful moms, and Dean flushed when Dana kissed him on the cheek after a tearful reunion with her daughter Katie, and dropped the realtor lady off at the hospital. When they pulled up in front of the house, they'd explained their job to Lisa, who was shocked by the fact that things like demons were real, and Ben, who thought it all was cool, even the whole changeling bit.

"Why don't you all come in for some coffee?" Lisa offered once they were out of the car. "That way, Sam can move the bookcase back to where it belongs."

"Sure," Dean agreed and they all went inside, where Sam raised his hand and easily guided the bookcase away from the closest.

"Cool!" Ben exclaimed, getting chuckles from the adults, and he grinned at Dean. "You have the _coolest_ little brother ever."

Both Sam and Liz laughed while Dean rolled his eyes and then followed Lisa into the kitchen while Ben convinced Sam and Liz to follow him upstairs so that he could show off his bedroom and all of his neat birthday presents.

"Do you think Ben will be all right?" Lisa asked as she got some water boiling and directed Dean to the cupboard that held the mugs.

"Yeah. I think he'll be fine," Dean confirmed, pulling out three mugs and setting them on the counter, "he might have a few nightmares." He then asked the question that'd been bugging him. "Okay. _Seriously_ …I mean, you're a _hundred percent_ sure that he is not mine, right?"

Lisa smiled. "You're off the hook," she said confidently. "I did a DNA test when he was a baby. There was this guy – some bar back in a biker joint." And she laughed at Dean's startled expression. "What? I had a type. Leather jacket, couple of scars, no mailing-address? I was there. Guess I was a little wild back then. Before I became a mom. So yeah. You can relax."

"Good," Dean said, but there was a hint of wistfulness in his voice.

"I…I swear you look disappointed," Lisa commented, her eyebrows raised.

Dean shrugged. "Yeah, I don't know. It's weird, you know your life…I mean, this house and a kid…it's not my life. Never will be. Some stuff happened to my siblings and I recently, and, uh…you start to think, you know. I'm gonna be gone one day, and what am I leaving behind besides a car? A twin sister who smacks me if I misbehave, a little brother who _towers_ over me…I don't know."

Lisa gave him a serious look. "Ben may not be your kid, but he wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for you," she pointed out. "That's a lot if you ask me."

Dean couldn't help but agree with her and smiled. "You know, just for the record…you got a great kid. I would have been proud to be his dad." And to his surprise, she kissed him on the lips.

After a moment, Lisa broke the kiss, a look of longing on her face. "Look, if, um…if you want to stick around for a while…you're welcome to stay. And Sam and Liz can stick around, too."

"I can't," Dean said wistfully. "I got a lot of work to do, and it's not my life."

* * *

An hour later, the Winchesters drove off, and Lisa watched them leave, privately wishing that Dean _had_ agreed to stay for a while, but she knew that it wasn't to be, and that whatever had caused him to be so burdened since their first meeting nine years before, had to be dealt with first…whatever that was.

' _I hope that I'll get to see you again someday, Dean,'_ she thought before heading back inside to check on her son, and clean the ashes out of the closest, which was all that remained of the changeling that had tried to pretend to be her son and kill her.

* * *

After getting some much-needed sleep, Dean and Liz left the motel to take care of some stuff, which included Liz mailing her dress choice and measurements to Hannah and Dean getting them some food before heading back to Bobby's, Sam took advantage of this to double-check on what Ruby had told him that day in the diner.

' _I know that I should've told Dean and Liz, but I want to make sure first,'_ he thought, flipping through their dad's journal and looking up the names of every friend and close relative connected to their mom.

* * *

After an hour, Sam tossed his phone onto his bed and stared into space with a stunned expression. "Oh my God, Azazel had them all killed." He then grabbed his phone and clicked open his contacts; he paused for a moment, considering to call his brother or his sister, but he scrolled down to the number that Ruby had given him, and he called it instead.

"Ruby, its' Sam, and you're right, Azazel _did_ have them all killed," he told her, breathing hard. "All of my mom's friends. Her doctor, Her uncle – everyone who ever knew her, systematically wiped off the map one at a time."

 _`"Told you so, Sammy,"`_ Ruby responded. _"And before you say anything about the end of the world, I don't want that."`_

"If you don't want the end of the world, then what do you want?" Sam asked. "And why do you feel more human then most demons I've encountered before?"

 _`"Well, to be honest, most people who end up in the pit forget that they use to be human and become full demons,"`_ Ruby responded. _`"But unlike most demons, I_ do _remember what it's like to be human, and sometimes it can be_ really _frustrating."`_

This surprised Sam since he knew that demons _used_ to human since Azazel had a habit of burning the human bones of those who disobeyed them, providing that he could _find_ their human remains. "When and where did you die?"

 _`"Back during the plague of 1350,"`_ Ruby answered. _`"I was a witch during that time, and I sold my soul to a demon. Like I said before, despite being tortured while down in the pit, I still remember what it's like to be human."`_

Sam still wasn't sure if he could trust this demon, but she'd been right so far. "Just how can you help?"

 _`"I can help free Elizabeth from her deal,"`_ Ruby stated. _`"I can help in finding the demon that holds her deal, and if you kill that demon before your sister's year is up, then she won't have to go down into the pit."`_

Sam didn't know what to say, but if there was a chance…"All right, if you can help free Liz from her deal, then you can help us."

* * *

Saginaw, Michigan

St. Mary's of Michigan Medical Center…

Wearing a dark suit and armed with a new fake id, Gordon Walker entered the medical center and went to the main desk, where a Hispanic nurse was working at a computer.

"Excuse me, I'm Andrew Marshall with the _Saginaw Press_ , and I'm here to interview Mrs. Alice Miller about what happen to her family two years ago."

The nurse glanced at him, eying the press badge that was pinned to the front of his suit. "Please wait while I let Dr. Maxwell know that you're here, sir."

* * *

"To be honest, Mr. Marshall, I'm surprised that anyone at the _Saginaw Press_ would want to interview Mrs. Miller after the last time," Dr. Maxwell commented as he led Gordon down a hallway to room 215. "I should warn you that after the suicides of her husband, brother-in-law, and her step-son, Mrs. Miller hasn't been in the best of health, and she has already tried to kill herself twice after the funeral of her step-son."

"I assure you, Dr. Maxwell, I only want to ask her a few questions to understand _what_ it was that caused this sad event to happen," Gordon lied, not caring about the woman's mental health.

Dr. Maxwell didn't look convince, but he unlocked the door, and let Gordon enter first. "I'll be waiting outside should anything happen, sir."

Gordon nodded and turned to face the pale blue room, which had a bed in one corner with a nightstand, a door that led to a bathroom, and a rocking chair that was positioned in front of a TV that was showing an animal show. Seated in the chair was Alice Miller, whose blonde hair was faded and longer than it was two years ago, her once bright eyes were also dull and slightly glazed because of the meds she was currently on, and there were more wrinkles in her face.

"Mrs. Miller?" he asked quietly, moving next to the TV so that she could see him. "My name is Andrew Marshall, I'm with the _Saginaw Press_ , and I just-"

"I don't want to talk to any reporters," Alice said, not looking away from the TV. "I answered enough questions the first time around after my son killed himself two years ago."

Gordon raised his eyebrows, surprised at how calmly the woman was talking, and suspected that it probably had to do with the meds. "I _am_ sorry for your lost," he said evenly, "but what I want to ask you concerns the _family_ friends that you called in that day that you told the police about."

Alice _actually_ looked at him for several seconds before looking away again. "They were just friends that I called upon when Max came home with that gun and was ranting about stuff, mostly to do with my lack of help when his f-father-" she stopped talking and sniffed instead.

"When his father was abusing him?" Gordon finished, noting the woman's startled expression. "Mrs. Miller, I know what you told the police, but those _friends_ you called upon for help are dangerous people and I need to know what they might've told you and your step-son that day."

Alice shot him a cold look. "Really? If they were _so_ dangerous, then why did they try to talk my son down? _Why_ did two of them attend to my head injury after my _son_ somehow threw me against the counter without touching me? If they're _so_ dangerous, Mr. _Marshall_ , then they should've killed _me_ so that I won't have to deal with the memories for the rest of my _life!_ "

Gordon jumped backward when she screamed and stood up with a wild expression on her face. "Mrs. Miller-"

"Get _out!_ " Alice screamed, stalking toward him. "Max didn't need to die that day, and neither did his father nor his uncle! _Yes_ , they were hard on him, and maybe it wasn't his fault that his birth mother died in that fire that night, but he didn't have to kill _anyone!_ He was a _good boy!_ "

Before Gordon could say a word, Alice leapt forward to grab the pen in his hand, just as Dr. Maxwell, a security guard, and two nurses ran in, subduing her with an ease of a lot of practice and experience.

"I _think_ you best leave, Mr. Marshall," Dr. Maxwell advised while one of the nurses injected a sedative into Alice's arm to calm her down. "And if you or any _other_ reporters from the _Saginaw Press_ come around here again to bother _any_ of my patients, then I will demand a restraining order."

Gordon didn't respond, instead he turned on his heel and left the room, having gotten what he'd wanted…sort of. _'Max_ did _have an ability, and he clearly_ did _kill his father_ and _his uncle. The Winchesters failed to do anything to help in this area, and that's enough proof for me.'_

* * *

When the Winchesters got back to Bobby's place, both Ellen and Jo were back from their own hunt and compared notes over dinner, which consisted of Swedish meatballs over rice, and a green salad.

"When Richie went missing, I suspected Casey since she was the last person to see him, and I used the GPS on his phone to find his body in the basement of this old mansion," Jo explained. "I also found sulfur, so I knew that she was a demon, and so I tricked her into taking me to the basement and I got her trapped in a Devil's Trap after she discovered that I already removed Richie's body. When I was about to start the exorcism, she caused a cave-in, trapping us both, and I ended up forgetting the beginning of the exorcism."

"So, how did you get out?" Dean asked, around a mouthful of meatball and rice, only to have Ellen smack his arm with an order to not talk with his mouth full.

Jo shrugged. "Mom went and found Father Gil, who was also a demon, got him to led her to where we were, and we exorcised them both back into the pit. 'Course, while I was stuck, I learned that Casey is among a handful who are waiting for you to step up as leader, Sam, and they seem to believe that Lucifer is their God or something."

"Well, I'm not about to lead _any_ demon army, not now and not ever," Sam stated, refusing to admit that he was slightly spooked by the mention of Lucifer for a reason that he couldn't explain.

"So, um, you have any luck with the Colt, Bobby?" Liz asked, deciding to change the subject.

"I'm sure that I'm close," Bobby said confidently, "but I'll need to test it on a demon to be sure, and they're not _exactly_ waiting in line to be shot by a gun that can kill them."

"Well, I guess we need to track down a demon to test the gun on," Dean suggested, and that got general agreement from the others.

* * *

It was two days before they had a chance to test the Colt, and they were all surprised when it was _Ruby_ who showed up, dragging a chained-up demon with her.

"Ruby?" Sam asked, surprised that she was in the yard. "What're you doin' here?"

Ruby just smiled as she shoved the demon, which currently possessed a filthy-looking white man onto the ground. "I thought you guys could use some help in making sure that the Colt works."

"You _really_ expect us to believe that?" Dean asked coldly, not trusting her.

"You _must_ be Dean," Ruby said, not letting him faze her. "No, I don't expect you to believe anything I have to say, but if you want to kill the demon that's holding Elizabeth's contract, then it's best to make sure that your _gun_ works."

The hunters exchanged a look since Ruby _did_ have a point, if the Colt failed to kill that male demon, then they were in _serious_ trouble.

"So, who is this demon?" Ellen asked.

"He's just a grunt," Ruby responded, "and the meat-suit he's currently in, is some overdosed John Doe that he found in an alleyway somewhere. So you guys don't have to worry about killing some innocent human."

The demon growled. "When I get _free_ of these _chains_ , I'm gonna tear you _all apart_ , starting with _you_ , bitch."

Jo threw some holy water onto the demon, making him hiss in pain. " _Watch_ your language, jerk."

* * *

After placing the demon in a devil's trap and a few fail attempts, it was on the third try that Bobby was able to get the Colt to work, and the Winchesters knew that they now had a fighting chance to free Liz from her deal before the year was up.

* * *

A/N: And that's the end of this story. See you all next week for the next one. R&R everyone!


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